Thermoinsulating structure and method of manufacturing the same



Azpnl 8, 1930. H. B. LINDSAY 1,753,896

THERMOINSULATING STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE' SAME FiledOct. 27, 1927 UNH Patented Apr. 8, 193() emrah PATENT; OFFICE HARVEY B.LINDSAY, OF` EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, -ASSIGNR TO DRY ZRO CORPORA- TION, OFWILMINGTON, DELAW'ARl, A" CORPORATION 0F 1)EILAWARE THERMOINSU'LATINGSTRUCTURE A1311? METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME l Application medoctober 27,1927. serial No. 229,254. i,

My invention relates more particularly to the insulation ofstructuresfcomprising a frame work, as for example, and moreparticularly, -of relatively' soft material, such as wood, defining thespace to be insulated and forming openings into suchv space and in whichthe insulating material is located; one of the most common structuresofthis character -being the ordinary refrigerator box refrigerated Vbyice, or by artificial re o frigerating means. c

These structures are commonly built with a sheet metal casing definingtherefrigerating chamber and much difficulty has been heretoforeencounteredin effectually `pre-i .venting the penetration ofmoisture-laden air from the atmosphere tothe insulating` material andthe cold sheet Vmetal casing, with .the result that the insulatingmaterial bezocomes objectionably damp, particularly because of thecondensation of the moisture on the casing, with the manifestobjectionable results.

My primary object is to so form structures of the character abovereferredv to, that vcirculation of air'as abovestated, with the abovementioned' objectionable result, is prevented, whereby the insulatingmaterial is maintained comparatively -dry in the con- 3o tinued' use ofthe structure', to provide for the accomplishment of this* result bysimple and economical means'and of such character that the structureVmay be readily and inexpensively built; and other objects as will bemanifest from the following description.

Referring to Ythe accompanying drawing showing my invention inconnection with a refrigerator of the artificially cooled type Figure 1is a perspective view of the u4o frame-work of such a refrigerator.Figure 2 is a plan sectional view taken at Vthe irregular line 2-2 onFig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow, -this view showingthestructure illustrated in Fig. 1 with themetallic refrigerating-chambercasing and the insulating body or unit for one ofthe frameopenings inposition in the frame.v Figure 3 is' a cross' sectional view of theinsulating body: or unit. `l Figure 4 is a similar'viewof i 5thema-.with the ration keine, some1 .t0 that shown in Fig. 3. lFigure 5is a view in section of oneof thesides of the frame opening with theinsulating body, orunit, shown in section and illustrating the preferredway in which the joint n between the insulating bodyor unit and theframe, is effected; and c Figure 6, an enlarged sectional view ofcertain vof the parts shown in Fig, 5 and illus;l trating the form ofjoint produced. y.

Referring to the frame structure shown in the drawing, this is of commonconstruction, it being formed of front uprights 7, rear uprights- 8, andupper andlower cross members 10 and 11 'defining at the upper portionofthe framea rectangular space l2 to receive therefrigerating-chamber-forming metal casing 13, and a lower space 14 inwhich the mechanism (not shown) for producing artificial cooling, islocated. The frame thus formed presents the uppery and lower rectangularhorizontally disposed openings 15 and 16 and the vertically disposedjopenings 17.

The openings 15, 16, and the openings 17, except the one of thelatterat-the front of the frame, are provided for receiving bodies ofinsulating material, the opening 17 at the front of the frame, beingprovided to receive the door (not shown) as commonly provided instructures of this general character.

In practicing my invention, the insulating bodies, or units, forinsulating the casing 13 and which would bepositioned in the openingsreferred to in the frame to substantially fit therein, are representedat 18, these bodies, or units,rbeing provided about their marginaledgesat their outer faces with flangeportions 19 which extend outwardlytherefrom-continuously along the. edges of each unit and overlap thefaces of-*all of the walls of the frame openings in .which the units aremounted, and are hermetically sealed in flat'- wise condition to thesewalls to exclude moisture, by. a suitable adhesive and in the mannerhereinafter described. The insulatingbodies 18, which may be of anysuitable construction, each comprises by way/ of example and preferably,a body 20 of .iibersgor strandsin comparatively loose, or

condition is desired, these strands by way of example being preferablykapok with the strands or fibers thereof preferably arranged to extendfrom end to end of the body 20 generally in the same direction as shown,and which it is desired be protected against moisture.

The bodies 18 are so constructed as to be sealed throughout their outersurfaces against the access of moisture. In the construction sliown,each body 20 of insulating material is located between sheets 21 and 22,the sheet 22 being of moisture-proof material, as for example,moist-ure-proofed paper, with binding and confining strips 23 located atthe edges of the body 2O parallel to which the strands or fibers of thebody extend, these strips being sealed to the edges of the sheets 21 and22 which they overlie. Extending entirely across the outer face of thesheet 22 and sealed thereto in any suitable manner, and of a size toprovide the flanges 19, is a sheet 24 of moistureproof material, such asthat referred to.

The sealing of the flange portions 19 to the flatwise-opposed surfacesof the frame-walls is effected by employing any suitable adhesive lsuchfor example any of the wellknown asphaltum emulsions particularlyadapted "to such use and tacky when cold.

VIn sealing the flanges 19 to the frame-work in accordance with myimproved method as yI prefer to practice it, I appl pressure against theouter surfaces of the ange portions 19 along areas extending crosswiseof the path moisture would follow in entering the space occupied by thebody 2O if not adequately sealed, and of widths less than the width ofthe flange portions, each flange portion being preferably subjected tosuch pressure along a plurality of spaced apart areas, as distinguishedfrom applying the pressure uniformly throughout the width of the flangeportions as would result if a plain cylindrical roller, or flat-ironwere used.

The pressure referred to is preferably applied by means of a rollerpresenting a series of corrugations extending circumferentially thereof,'a suitable roller for this purpose being shown at 25, the roller beingjournalled in a yoke member 26 provided with ajhandle 27 Vby which itmaybe grasped by the 4operator in rolling it along the flange portions19 lengthwise thereof.

The operator in using the roller presses `forcibly against the voutersurfaces of the tion lengthwise thereof ail'where'the frame` work is ofwood, for-other relatively soft maf terial, also forming corrugations inthe frame-Work, as shown in detail in Fig. 6.

The forming of the joint as described has been found, in practice, to behighly effective in sealing the joint against access thereto ofmoisture. The pressure being applied by the roller along relativelynarrow areas, the adhesive at these areas, between the flange portions19 and the frame-work, is thus subjected to high pressure which resultsin closely compressing the adhesive alon these areas and forming tightjoints with t e flange portions and frame-Work. Furthermore, applyingthe pressure as sta-ted operates to iron out any transverse creaseswhich may be present in the flange portions 19 and which if presentwould form channels, even though minute, through which moisture couldpenetrate into the space to be sealed. Also, by applying pressure to theflange portions 19 along spaced apart areas, the adhesive between theseareas is trapped and thus prevented from squeezing out with the manifestadvantage.

Another advantage of forming the joints as described and which is amatter of considerable practical importance is that, Whereas, it isalmost impossible to detect an imperfeet joint where the flange portions19 are sealed by pressure applied thereto uniformly throughout theirextent, it is only necessary, in inspecting a joint formed in accordancewith my invention for determining whether or not a perfect seal exists,to observe whether or not the corrugating operation has been performedon the flange portions inasmuch as corrugating the joint ensures aperfect seal.

The forming of the corrugations in the frame-work, as described, servesto augment the sealing function. However, where the material of theframe-work is such, as for example Where it is of metal, that thepressure applied by the operator through the roller is not suflicienttoindent the frame-work, an effective Aseal will be produced and islikewise Within my invention.

While I have described a particular method of producing the desiredseal, I do not wish `to be understood, as intending to limit theinvention thereto as the method may be varied Without `departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

What I claim asnew, and desire lto .secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. 'The Armethodof producing a hermetical- "ly sealed joint betweenflatwise opposed surfaces of elements to be united by an adhesive, onevof theelements being flexible and the other vasolid indenta-ble body,which consists in rolling a corrugation inthe flexible element and intothe -latw-ise 'opposed lportion of said solid vvindentalrle body whilesaid elements are vliatwise opposed with adhesive therebetween.

2. The 'method Aof producing a vhermeticak

